1. Chettinad is a region in Tamil Nadu known for the ornate mansions of the Chettiar community who were prosperous bankers and traders. 2. The Chettiars originally settled in Kaveripoompattinam but later moved to 72 villages in Chettinad due to flooding and conflicts. 3. Chettinad houses have distinctive features like elevated plinths, thick lime plaster walls, tiled roofs, and stucco sculptures inspired by places the Chettiars traded.

1. CHETTINAD HOUSE
By
ARWIN P
BOOMIKA M
JAYASREE B
SARANYA S V
RAGHUL M G

2. • Chettinad is the home of the Nattukottai Chettiars (Nagarathar). The word "nadu" means"land of the
chettiars".
• They are mainly known for their prosperous banking and business community. It is also known for its
local cuisine, architecture, and religious temples.
• They originally settled at Kaveripoompattinam, a seaside town near Thanjavur in Chola kingdom.
• Chettinadu has approximately 75 villages. There are nearly 11,000 houses .
HISTORY OF CHETTINAD
• Since Chettiars were bussiness traders, they were all mostly seafarer
• who spent most of their time travelling for trading purposes.
• This was
• one of the main reason why their old mansions were left behind and
• not maintained properly.
• ●They Developled their business in Burma,Ceylon,Malaysia etc…

3. ●Then they moved to bigger town for business,and they
will Get back for family function if necessary. Men
traveled for business and women on young children
remind at home.
●Kaveri pattinum was washed away by tidal wave,men
left behind without families.At the same time
cholesterol king who abducted one of their women.
• When the second world war brokeup most them had to return
chettinad not being able to repatriate their investments and
earnings.
●Pandya kingdom took this as a opportunity to bring Chettiars to
pandya kingdom ,to do business and bring back wealth.
●Chettiars cake and settled in 72 villages.,they themselves
located
far away from sea.Built mansion 4 to 5 feet above ground level.

4. • When the second world war brokeup most them had to return chettinad not
being able to repatriate their investments and earnings.
• They left their huge mansions and nk lucrative means for livelihood.
• Area of chettinad was not suitable for agriculture and industry because
Of shortage of water.
• Slowly they started moving bigger towns and started educating their
Childers well,Current generation mostly comprises the engineers,doctors,
Educated people.Still they use their mansions for celebrating family events.
●Slowly they started moving bigger towns and started educating their
Childers well,Current generation mostly comprises the engineers,doctors,
Educated people.Still they use their mansions for celebrating family events.
Not suitable for agri because of water scarecity

5. SPATIAL FORMING
The concept of the Chettinadu house is believed to have originated from the historic centre of Kaveripoompatnam
The practice of raising the plinth by 2 metres was prevalent to prevent the water from entering the house due to
frequent flooding.
The planning concept of the house was based on
The occupation of the people
Their desires
Cultural influences
Climate consideration
The occupation of the people and their desires determined the spaces created and their uses:
Since the Chettiars were mainly involved in banking and trade, they needed storage space for keeping their
valuables. The siderooms, ullarai and veliarai served this purpose.
The very nature of business conducted meant frequent visits of guests, supporters and foreign businessmen. The
planning of the house was also geared towards providing
Accommodation for the guests--As the men folk were away on business for long periods of time, the women had to
be provided with a residence which maximized security and made them self-sufficient.

6. 1) MUTRRAM: COURTYARD.
2) TALVARAM: CORRIDOR
3) MUNN ARAI: FRONT ROOM.
4) KALYANA KOTTAKAI: MARRIAGE HALL.
5) PATAKASALAI, TINNAI: THE "PUBLIC" ROOM IN A HOUSE.
6) BHOJANA SALAI: DINING HALL.
7) VELIARAI: OUTER ROOM.
8) ULLARAI: INNER ROOM.
9) IRANTAM MAIYA ARAI: SECOND CENTRAL HALL.
10) MURRAM: COURTYARD, ROOFED OR COVERED WITH GRILL
WORK
11) MUTRRAM: COURTYARD, ROOFED OR COVERED WITH GRILL
WORK.
12) TALVARAM: CORRIDOR.
13) KALANJIYAM: STORE ROOM.
14) SAMAIYAL ARAI: KITCHEN
15) PIN KATTU: BACKYARD.
16) KENI: WELL
FRONT
MALE
SECTION
OF
HOUSE
BACK
FEMALE
SECTION
OF
HOUSE

7. Characteristics of chettinad house
1. Cluster Houses
Better drainage and sanitary facilities & for better road network
2. Mostly East West orientation
• The fact the sun is lower in the sky in Winter than in Summer
allows us to plan and construct buildings that capture that free
heat in Winter and reject the heat in Summer.
• Facing the long axis of a house east-west, so that wall
areas receiving hot morning and afternoon sun are
minimised.
3. High – rise compound wall (front side) for Security reasons and
elevated plinth
4. ENTRANCE ARCH with stone steps
5. ELEVATED PLINTH: 7-8ft high to Avoid flooding.
Foundation is raised to 7ft,and built from locally available red
stones.this later became an aesthetic element , adding prominence
to the building
WALL THICKNESS :- One and half feet filled with lime mortar
and brick
6. TILED PORTICO: Italian tiles & Athangudi Tiles

8. 7)FACADE WITH STUCCO SCULPTURES: Inspired from many
countries where they did trade. They had sculptures inspired from
various themes across the world.
8) VERANDAH ‘THINNAI’(TWO PLATFORMS)- The thinnai is a
long narrow raised platform that serves as a meeting place and
also as a kind of accomodation for travellers and visitors.
9) WOODEN PILLARS on it,Made out of granite/teakwood
entrance leads to the imposing main door, usually made of
wood(burma teak) with extraordinarily intricate carvings of
mythological figures
10)HIGH DOOR FRAME with ornate wood work
13. OPEN COURTYARD (‘Mutram – Valavu’) serves as the venue
for many ceremonies that the community performs from births to
weddings and death

9. KITCHEN is located in
the rearer end of the
house called as kattu
Staircase is mostly
located in the corner of
the house
Banquet Hall Bhojan
Hall ‘Panthi kattu’ on the
side of the first kattu,
19. SQUARE – flat tiles floor of the ‘mutram’ will have
rectangle stone
slabs on all the four corners to bear the brunt mangalore
tile and it is connected to a gutter through which rain
water is collected.
20. SMALL SINGLE / DOUBLE ROOMS on one side or
either side of the passage (‘suththukkattu’) length
18. SLANTING CLAY - tiled

10. MATERIALS USED
MANGLORE
BURMA
SUPER
PLASTER
ATHANGUDI
STUCCO
PLASTER
CLAY ROOF TILE

11. ART AND CRAFT
• The arts and crafts of chettinad occupy a distinct position in South
Indian folklore
• Wood carving, silver empbellishment, woven sarees, palm leaf
baskets, gold jewellery, handmade tiles, architectural styles, refined
cuisine and egg plastering are among their more visible
contributions to the wide- ranging repertoire of Indian arts and
crafts
• Chettinad baskets has a special attraction as they have intercate
patterns made with date-palm leaves
• A Special feature of any Chettinad House is the decorative art of
"KOLAM" practiced everyday at dawn on the cleansed threshold of
the house